Eterna

~Chapter 24~ Numbered

They say that death is the final struggle of this world. They're wrong. The blackness had almost consumed me when my eyes finally peeled open to the world around me. A violet haired woman, sopping wet and rambling, was leaning over me and attempting to resuscitate me.

"H-Harley..."

"Oh god! Evelyn! Evelyn, you're alive!" With that, she embraced me with all of her might.

"Not for..too much longer if you keep...squeezing me.."

"Oh, I'm sorry."

She backed up, kneeling in the sand before me. Her hair and clothes were sopping wet, and the sand stuck to her like sugar.

"What in the realm happened to you? Why are you all soaked?"

Harley sighed, explaining that she had used a vast amount of energy to save the others, and had been knocked off the ship...the ship that was being used to pursue me. She also explained that Devon's creature had brought her to shore, and she'd seen me in time to save me from Delize's finishing blow.

"Thank you.." I rested my body and watched as the clouds overhead grew darker.

"Don't thank me. The others should be arriving from the east real soon. Then we can face the evil together."

Not long after she had reassured me, I heard cries and footfalls in the near distance. My body was badly injured, and my slight healing abilities were working slower than normal. Aside from the fact that the word 'Darkwalker' hung in my mind.

"Over here!" Harley's raspy voice called out to my companions.

I heard someone hit the sand running, causing some of it to splash over my body.

"Evelyn! Oh, Miss Evelyn. Don't worry, I'll heal you right up!"

It was Sera. She knelt over me, her hands spread out over my body as she chanted words I'd never heard before. I felt the pain leave my body, as my entire self became numb. One by one, my other companions joined around Sera and Harley.

"What about you, Harley?"

"I'm fine. Just focus on Lady Evelyn for now. Her wounds are worse than mine. She was attacked by the crazy harpy you were all talking about."

"Is she bloody okay?" Roxy dove between the small crowd.

"Yes. She'll be fine soon. Her major wounds have closed. I'm just working on-"

"Oh, bless your bloody soul, I thought you'd be gone by now!" Roxy embraced me and I felt as if my bones would snap at any moment.

"Th-thank you...Roxy, but.."

"AND YOU!"

She shifted her embrace from me, to Harley.

"I swore to the divines that you were dead. You wench! Don't you ever do that to me again!"

Harley swayed from side to side as Roxy held her.

"Evelyn.." Devon knelt by my side. "Harley...thank the Upper realm, you're both safe."

I sat up with the help of Sera, who placed her hand on my back.

"I was attacked by Delize.." I turned to face her, everyone's eyes followed my gaze. "She decieved me, and intended to kill me, but I received extremely important information from her that could assist me...us."

I attempted to stand, guided by Sera who knew not to argue with me.

"I'll let my wound heal a bit more and rest as well, before I continue right away."